Would really appreciate advice on how best to coordinate a 4-day trip beginning in Seattle. We want to include Vancouver (2 days?), Boutchart Gardens & a whale excursion from the San Juan Islands. Working around the ferry schedules has overwhelmed me. Would also appreciate recommendations on the whale excursion companies and things not-to-miss in Vancouver and/or the surrounding area.

I assume you are driving?? You have a couple of options. You could drive up to Vancouver and spend a couple of days. Then take BC Ferries http://www.bcferries.com/ to Victoria. You can get the best whale watching from there (unless you really want to leave from the San Juan Islands) You can see Butchart Gardens one day and take the ferry from Sidney http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/ferries/schedules/ to Anacortes and do the San Juan Islands that way or get the ferry to Port Angeles and drive back to Seattle from there. http://cohoferry.com/main/ You can do the trip in reverse as well but it makes a nice circle.

There are few and often inconvenient sailing times between Vancouver Island and the San Juans. If you, for instance, take a ferry to Vancouver Island, a ferry to San Juan and then another to Anacortes, you're going to spend an awful lot of your four days sitting in lineups and riding on ferries.

Thanks so much for the advice. Yes, we're driving. I hadn't even thought of a whale excursion from Victoria. That would certainly eliminate the ferry problem between Vancouver Island & the San Juans.

It certainly would make your trip a lot more convenient with easier options for your itinerary if you take the tour out of Victoria. There are so many companies but here are a few websites to check out.

http://www.princeofwhales.com/
http://www.springtidecharters.com/
http://www.eaglewingtours.com/